WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- This might be the season Ryan Baker shows what the fuss was all about.

The former Bishop Chatard High School star chose Purdue over Notre Dame two years ago, giving the Boilermakers one of their most high-profile recruits in recent years.

After serving as a backup most of last season, Baker is firmly entrenched in the starting lineup along with fellow sophomore Alex Magee at the defensive tackle spots.

"Our D-line isn't just two guys," the 6-5, 282-pound Baker said. "(First-year defensive line coach Terrell Williams) is going to rotate a lot. . . . You can't go in there with just two tackles."

The Purdue coaches moved Baker from tight end to defensive tackle near the end of his redshirt freshman year in 2004 because he seemed to thrive on contact.

"It's a challenge,'' Baker said. "You have guards coming from your left and your right. But it's the trenches. It doesn't get any better than that.''